The ARC Charter

The Association of Retrofit Consultants exists to raise the standard of retrofit consultancy across the UK — so that homes are warmer, safer and healthier, and the public and private investment made in them delivers lasting value.

By signing this Charter, I (and, where I sign on behalf of an organisation, my organisation) commit to:

1. 1.

   Putting residents first.

   I will treat the people who live in the homes I work on with respect — remembering that it is their home. They will be informed, listened to, kept safe and protected from harm.

2. 2.

   Delivering good retrofit.

   I will work to ensure that the retrofit I am responsible for — and the retrofit my business delivers — is resident-centred, evidence-based, holistic and quality-led. Success is measured in the outcomes delivered, not the boxes ticked.

3. 3.

   Working within my competence, honestly and independently.

   I will work only within my competence, keep my knowledge current, and represent my qualifications accurately. My advice will be impartial and independent — balancing the interests of the resident, the property owner and wider society, regardless of any commercial or contractual pressures on me.

4. 4.

   Challenging poor practice.

   Where I see retrofit being done badly — in my own work, my business’s, or, where reasonable, beyond it — I will speak up. I will raise it privately and proportionately first, with those involved, and through ARC where appropriate. I will not publicly criticise another’s work without first having given them the chance to explain or remedy it. If it remains unresolved and material, I will ask ARC to review the evidence, and I accept that my challenge may turn out to be misplaced.

5. 5.

   Accepting challenge in turn — and acting on it.

   If ARC, an ARC member, or anyone else raises a credible concern about the quality of my work, I will take it seriously, examine it openly, and put it right where the concern stands up. If I cannot or will not put it right, I will resign my membership of ARC. I understand that ARC may rescind my membership if quality concerns are not satisfactorily explained or remedied.

6. 6.

   Upholding ARC.

   I will operate within the ARC Charter and policies, act in ways that protect ARC’s reputation, and engage constructively with other members and the wider sector.

This Charter is a statement of personal and, where applicable, organisational intent. It sits alongside ARC’s Code of Conduct, Membership Policy and wider governance documents, which signatories also agree to uphold.

This is a draft for consultation. We welcome views via the questionnaire. When the Charter is finalised, registered users will be invited to sign it and become chartered members of the Association.